Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday declared his candidature for the Maharashtra chief minister’s post and said he would contest the upcoming state assembly elections.
Raj will be the first member of the Thackeray family to contest elections.
“I will
be contesting the upcoming elections and if we get a majority then I will be leading from the front. We have decided to fight these elections on our own might,”Raj said addressing a massive MNS rally in Sion in central Mumbai.

Hindustan Times was first to report that the MNS was planning to project Raj as chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming polls. The MNS top brass is impressed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s successful poll campaign.

According to MNS sources, Raj is likely to contest from two seats — Dadar-Mahim in Mumbai and Nashik — both are party’s strongholds.

Raj said in the next few days he will reveal details of his plan through a series of public meetings. The MNS which contested 10 seats in the Lok Sabha polls faced a disastrous defeat where it lost on all seats and even lost its deposits.

He slammed his party office bearers saying many of them ‘hung their boots’ during the Lok Sabha polls.